Cybersecurity is a key EU priority, say senior experts at a conference in Sofia

The security of the digital society is a shared responsibility of governments, civic organisations and businesses, 150 top cyber security experts underlined at an international conference in Sofia. The Cybersecurity Challenges Conference took place on 26 March 2018 and was organised jointly by the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications and the State e-Government Agency as part of the official programme of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

"Every day, billions of citizens rely on internet technology and innovation - from communicating with their loved ones, through e-healthcare, to managing finances," Bulgaria’s Deputy Transport and Information Technologies Minister Dimitar Genovski said at the opening of the conference. "When we create strategies and take actions for the security of the global network, the actions of states, business and society must be global,"

he added.

The State e-Government Agency’s chairman Atanas Temelkov stated:

"Risks and threats in cyberspace are common to the Member States and we need a collective vision and enhanced cooperation to improve the operational capacity at European level and build strong cyber security for the EU."

The first topic of discussion was related to the European cybersecurity ecosystem. A special panel was dedicated to internet security. Technological aspects, specific regional policies and the need for every internet user to be involved in cybersecurity were also discussed.

The subject of cyber hygiene – the establishment of daily practices and behaviour required to maintain a user’s digital health, i.e. security – was also presented. In Bulgaria, it is the focus of a national education and information campaign initiated by the State e-Government Agency under the patronage of the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Digital Society, Mariya Gabriel. The initiative is supported by the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications and is held within the framework of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU through various digital events.

Senior security officials of the EU participated in discussions on crisis management, operational co-ordination between Member States and the role of the European Network and Information Security Agency.

The final topic of the conference focused on cooperation at a political level, the so-called cyber-diplomacy, general legislative steps, the need for a collective response and the development of research to counter attacks on the global network.